Lecture 21: Early Modern? The Ming in the 16th Century

Total duration is unknown; it is recommended to plan your viewing time accordingly. This lecture is the 21st session of MIT's "History of the Chinese Imperial Empire" course, focusing on the historical positioning of the Ming Dynasty in the 16th century. In the broader context of the course, this period is often framed within the notion of "late imperial China," but this lecture raises a provocative question: had China already entered a state of "early modernity" by the 16th century? Lecturer Tristan G. Brown will guide us to re-examine mid-Ming through economic commercialization, silver flows, print culture, and local social governance—rather than treating the era merely as a transitional phase of dynastic decline. A central highlight is the critical discussion of the concept of "early modernity": did the Ming Dynasty share characteristics analogous to early modern Europe? Through concrete cases—such as towns in the Jiangnan region, maritime prohibition and smuggling, and the public activities of the scholar-gentry—the course reveals the complexity and vitality of Ming society from a global history perspective. This lecture is suitable for upper-level undergraduates or graduate students with an interest in Ming-Qing history or comparative global history, as well as history enthusiasts who wish to move beyond the stereotypical notion of dynastic cycles. It is advisable to familiarize yourself with the basic trajectory from the founding of the Ming Dynasty through the Zhengtong era before watching, and to come to the lecture carrying the question of "what constitutes modernity" for a richer experience.